


I'm Fine

by snarkymuch



Category: Torchwood
Genre: Fluff, Fluff and Humor, He just sucks at showing it, Hurt/Comfort, I don't know, I wrote this years ago and found it, M/M, Owen really does care, Sick Ianto Jones
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-24
Updated: 2019-04-24
Packaged: 2020-01-31 08:25:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,876
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18587482
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/snarkymuch/pseuds/snarkymuch
Summary: *Don't mind me. I'm just shuffling some old fics over here. Carry on.*Basically, Ianto develops a rash and it turns out to be more. Owen and Jack take care of him. That's about it.





	I'm Fine

**Author's Note:**

> I am trying to move all my stories over here and discovered I have a bunch I have missed. This is a cute fluffy one-shot I wrote years ago, but I liked it.

Ianto had never more thankful that his job offered him a place to hide. The problem had started the night before when he was awoken from sleep by a slight itch on his neck. By morning, the minor irritation had become a full-fledged rash.

He managed to conceal it beneath his clothing when he dressed for work, but now it was spreading. He ran his hand over his face and cringed when he felt the warm skin.

He didn't have any allergies that he knew of, and he hadn't changed his aftershave. There really was no good reason for him to be breaking out in a rash.

He checked his watch and saw that it was nearly time for lunch. He would need to take the team’s orders and make a round of coffee soon. He sighed. He hadn't seen himself yet, but he was sure it wasn't pretty, and he knew his coworkers well enough to know that it wouldn't go without comment.

He trudged up the stairs and began to make his way to Jack's office, might as well get his shock and gasps out of the way first. He knocked lightly on the doorframe before stepping inside. Jack was looking down at the computer and hadn't noticed Ianto's less than stellar appearance.

"Excuse me, Jack. I'm taking orders for lunch." He kept his voice natural, hoping not to draw attention to himself.

Jack looked up and leaned back in his chair, probably about to say something lewd, when his face twisted in shock and he jumped to his feet.

Ianto swallowed and tried to remain professional. "Jack, it's fine—just little irritation."

But Jack was already in front of him, looking overly concerned. "Ianto, have you seen yourself? Your face is all … splotchy." And then he leaned in and sniffed him.

Ianto took a step back. "Did you just sniff me?"

"Yeah, some rashes I've seen have distinct smells, one I remember smelled almost like coconut. I was just checking."

Ianto raised his brow. "I wasn't aware there were any coconut-scented rashes on earth."

"That's because there aren't. The last time I saw a case of that was on the planet Kepler."

"When would I have been in contact with anyone, or anything, from the planet Kepler?"

Jack shrugged. "Don't know, but it pays to be cautious. That guy's rash started just like that, but then his skin started to slough off. Poor guy died of shock before we could get him treated."

Ianto carefully brought a hand up and touched his face in horror. "Umm … I'm fairly certain it's just something I ate."

"Yeah, maybe, but I want Owen to check you out to be sure."

Jack leaned out the door. "Owen, my office now. Bring your kit, Ianto's all … bumpy."

"Jack!"

Jack turned and looked at him. "What, they were all going to find out eventually."

Ianto stepped around him and plonked down in a chair. He rested his head in his hands as he waited for the doctor to arrive.

He could hear someone coming up the stairs and braced himself for Owen's arrival.

"What's this about Ianto being, as you put it, all bumpy?" Owen asked, coming through the door.

"I tried to tell Jack, it's just something I ate."

Owen knelt in front of him, snapping on a pair of gloves. "Move your hands. I need to see."

Ianto was still holding his head in his hands. This was humiliating. He knew there was no point in resisting. Jack would probably pin him to the floor if he tried. He groaned but dropped his hands and leaned back in the chair.

"I see why you called it bumpy."

He leaned in and grabbed Ianto's chin. He turned his head to the side and poked at the rash. Ianto was thankful that, so far, Owen was handling it professionally. In fact, he almost looked concerned.

Owen stood and nodded at him. "The shirt needs to go."

"What? No. It's just a rash. I'm not getting undressed in Jack's office."

"First, yes, you will,” Owen began. “Second, I'm the doctor, so I get to say what it is, and third, you've done it before."

Ianto narrowed his eyes at Owen, who was looking exceptionally smug.

"Jack?" Ianto gave him a pleading look.

Jack shrugged.

Ianto rolled his eyes. They were acting completely ridiculous.

Huffing, in a way that some might call childish, Ianto stood and removed his jacket and waistcoat. He took his time to fold them and place them neatly on Jack's desk. Slowly, very slowly, he unfastened each button of his shirt. He caught Owen's impatient glare, and although it was immature to be so passive-aggressive, he still found it pleasing.

Jack knew exactly what Ianto was doing and gave him an admonishing look.

"Would you hurry the fuck up?" Owen finally snapped.

Ianto had to hide his grin. He was happy that he’d made the Londoner crack.

He folded his shirt and turned for the doctor's inspection.

Owen huffed and began poking and prodding at him. He felt along his neck and listened to his chest. He finally grabbed the scanner from his bag and passed it over him. Owen made a few noncommittal noises before sitting back on Jack's desk.

"Well," Jack asked.

Owen scratched his head and shrugged. "Don't know what's caused it, but he's having a reaction to something. He's running a bit of temp but nothing concerning yet."

Ianto rolled his eyes and looked to Jack. "See, nothing to worry about. Can I _please_ put my clothing back on?"

Jack nodded and turned his attention back to the doctor. "Is it alien?"

"Don't know, Jack. This is Torchwood, and I sure as hell don't know what he could've been exposed to."

Ianto froze at the absurdity that he was hearing. "It's just a rash—a simple reaction. It's not alien."

Jack stepped in front of him and placed a hand on his chest. "Look, things like this shouldn't be taken lightly, not working somewhere like this."

"You're serious?" Ianto looked at Owen and saw the same look of concern. "You two have lost your minds!"

"Owen, was there any sign it has affected his brain?"

Ianto's eyes went wide, and he glanced between the two of them. "My brain is fine!" He finished buttoning his shirt and grabbed his jacket and waistcoat. "I'm going to go order lunch now if you two have finished."

Owen stood and exchanged a knowing look with Jack. Suddenly, Ianto had a feeling that he was about to be restrained. He had worked here long enough to know _that_ look.

Even though the reasonable part of his brain knew he had a snowball's chance in hell of escape, the part that didn't want to be dissected over a simple rash had decided it was worth a go.

He bolted for the door and made it exactly three steps before he found himself pinned face down on the floor by Jack.

"It's just a rash!" he shouted.

He felt Jack's warm breath by his ear. "Hey, you need to calm down."

Ianto closed his eyes in defeat and rested his forehead on the rough carpet, mentally noting how unsanitary it was. "You're overreacting."

Jack pressed a kiss against Ianto's hair. "Maybe, but I don't want to lose you."

"I'm not going anywhere."

Jack pressed his hips against Ianto, whispering in his ear. "I kind of like you like this, under me, Owen watching."

Ianto could feel that Jack meant every word, and it was taking all his self-control to keep a moan from escaping.

"Jack …" Ianto groaned in frustration.

Jack had loosened his grip on his wrists and began trailing his fingertips up and down along Ianto's arm. "Hmm?" he hummed against his neck, sending a shiver down his spine.

"I know what you're doing, Jack."

"Yeah, and what's that?" Jack shifted again, pressing against him.

"Trying to distract me, so I'll forget why we're on the floor and why I should be angry with you."

Jack's body shook with laughter, and Ianto could feel him smiling against his neck. "Did it work?"

"Not really."

"Maybe I should try harder?" Jack nipped at the side of Ianto's neck as he tried to slide a hand under Ianto's body.

"Oi! Have you two forgotten I'm in the room?"

Jack sighed, and then Ianto felt him shift his weight off him. He rolled over and took Jack's proffered hand.

When he straightened, he was greeted by two looks of shock.

"What?"

Owen stood in front of him and peered closely at his neck. "Your little 'it was just something I ate' rash has begun blistering."

Owen went to his kit and pulled out some swabs. "I want to take some samples, make sure we're only dealing with a reaction. I also want a couple vials of blood."

Ianto rubbed his temple.

"Head hurt?" Owen asked.

"Not yet. I'm sure it will by the end of the day, though."

Owen snapped a tourniquet around his arm and proceeded to draw far more than Ianto considered a couple vials of blood. "You know that the accepted definition of 'a couple' is two, right?"

"Don't care." Owen pressed a piece of gauze to the site and secured it with a strip of tape. "I should have the results from the cultures in about an hour. Until then, we're on lockdown."

xXx

Ianto lay alone on the small cot in Jack's room.

Owen and Jack had just left to confer with the girls after interrogating him on everything he had done, eaten, and drank in the last seventy-two hours. There had been nothing new or out of the ordinary. Everything that he'd done, he'd done before.

He had made coffee, fed the weevils, and worked in the archives, nothing special.

The only thing he learned from recounting the last three days was that he led a far too predictable existence. When he got better, he would really need to mix things up a bit.

He closed his eyes and rolled over. He might as well try to sleep, he reasoned.

Stretching out his legs, he felt a twinge of pain in his calf. He had forgotten all about the scratch Janet had given him. He had cleaned it and dressed it himself, not wanting to worry Jack or bother Owen with something so small.

He briefly considered calling Jack and letting him know but shrugged off the thought. He really didn't think it was anything to worry about. He had gotten nipped and scratched plenty of times, sometimes worse, and never had a reaction like this.

He shifted in the bed to take the pressure off the wound and pulled the blanket tighter to himself. It felt cold in Jack's room, and he soon found himself shivering. He was beginning to feel genuinely ill, and he felt a pang of worry shoot through him. What if he had some alien disease or his skin started sloughing off? A violent shiver rattled through him, and he tightened the blanket around himself.

Jack had left the comm on the bedside table, so Ianto could call him if he needed anything. Ianto eyed it for a minute and debated on whether he should, but his head was beginning to feel heavy, and the room was swaying. He reached for the comm, but before his hand could grasp it, it all went black.

xXx

Ianto opened his eyes and looked around. He was still in Jack's bed, but he noticed immediately what was different. He was now very naked and only covered by a sheet.

He tried to sit up, but a warm hand pressed against his chest. He blearily followed the line of the arm up to Jack's concerned face. "Easy, you're pretty sick."

Jack sat down on the edge of the bed and placed his palm over his brow. "Your fever still pretty high." Jack traced his knuckles along Ianto's jaw.

"W-what happened?"

"You had a reaction to an alien bacterium."

Ianto blinked, confused. "From what?"

Jack nodded towards his legs. "Seems you failed to mention you were injured."

"The weevil scratch?"

Jack nodded. "Yep, took us a few minutes to find it, too. You should have told someone."

"Didn't seem important."

"Your health is always important."

Ianto nodded. "Sorry, didn't mean to worry you." A shiver spread through his body, causing his teeth to nearly chatter. "I'm cold."

"Here." Jack laid a blanket over him. "By the way, I owe you a suit."

He scrunched his brow in confusion. "Huh?"

"When we found you unconscious, we cut off your clothing."

So, that explained why he was naked. Realization seeped in, and Ianto felt his face heat up from embarrassment. "You mean … you and Owen … Oh, god." He was mortified.

"We needed to find the source of the infection."

He groaned and threw an arm over his eyes. "So, I'm going to be alright?"

"Yep, Owen's cleaned out the wound and started you on something he thinks should clear it up." Jack lifted Ianto's arm from his eyes and leaned in, pressing a kiss to his head. "You have nothing to be embarrassed about. I protected your modesty, checked you over myself. Owen didn't even catch a glimpse."

"Thank you."

"Anytime I get to undress you is welcomed, I would just prefer it under less … concerning circumstances."

"Me too." Ianto yawned. "I'm tired, lay with me?"

Jack smiled and stood, stripping off his shirt.

"Scoot over." Jack lifted the blankets and crawled in beside him. He slid his arm beneath Ianto and pulled him to his chest. "Comfy?"

He wriggled against him. "Very."

"Good, get some rest. Owen will be back soon to set up an IV."

Ianto groaned but didn't open his eyes. He was too tired to care what Owen had planned.

xXx

He tried to wake but couldn’t seem to clear his head—everything was fuzzy. It was almost like he’d been drugged. He thought back to when Owen had set up the IV and tried to recall what the doctor had given him, but he couldn't remember. He was feeling incredibly tired, and his thoughts seemed to be coming through a haze. If it wasn't for the warm floaty feeling he had, he might have been more upset, but as it was, he was content to snuggle down and ignore the world.

Ianto rolled over and stretched an arm out in search of Jack, patting at the bed beside him. If there was anything to be gained from this, it was some alone time with Jack—something they didn't get nearly enough of. His brow furrowed in frustration as he felt around blindly, trying to find his prize. When his hand bumped into something warm, he grabbed at it, trying to tug it closer.

Ianto grappled with the warm limb, trying to get it to move closer. He was cold and tired and didn't have the patience for Jack's games of playing hard to get. It wasn't the time. Huffing in annoyance at Jack's refusal to move closer, he begrudgingly opened his eyes, fully expecting to see Jack grinning back at him, but what he didn't expect was to see Owen's crooked grin and raised a brow.

"I never knew." The doctor looked down at Ianto's hand, which was resting on his inner thigh.

Appalled, Ianto pulled his hand back and pushed himself up. "I'm …" He paused to gather his thoughts. His brow pinched. "What are you doing here and where's Jack?"

The last thing he remembered was going to sleep snuggled up against Jack's chest, and he specifically recalled seeing Owen leaving the room before he dozed off. He cringed as he thought of how close his hand had come to Owen's … he shuddered at the thought. Owen would have never let him live it down.

Suddenly feeling rather dirty, Ianto wiped his hand on the blanket, trying to rid himself of the touch.

Owen lifted a brow, watching Ianto. "I'm here because Jack isn't. He had to go help the girls with some piece of alien rubbish the rift spit out, and he insisted that I needed to stay behind to babysit you."

Ianto rolled his eyes. That was such a Jack thing to do. Jack seemed to think he and Owen needed time together—why he had no idea. It was clear they weren't keen on each other, and Owen had a horrible bedside manner as far as Ianto was concerned.

"Great, did he say how long they'd be?

"Nope, but I'm betting a few hours."

Ianto looked up at the ceiling. He was in hell.

The bed shifted, and Ianto looked over to Owen, adjusting the blanket and appearing to get comfortable at the foot of the bed.

"So, since you're up, how are you feeling?"

"Other than annoyed at Jack and concerned that you actually liked me touching your leg, like shit."

And that was an understatement. Ianto's head was throbbing, and his leg ached in ways he didn't think possible. He couldn't decide whether he should be hot or cold. Could he both at the same time? Ugh, even thinking made him feel worse. Whatever the alien bacteria had done to him, it was beyond unpleasant.

"Yeah, well, I'm none too pleased with Jack's little setup either, and as for me enjoying your little feel up, what can I say? I haven't been out in weeks."

"You're such a—"

"Twat? Bastard? Yep, now let me take a look at you. I want to see how your leg's doing."

Before Ianto could respond, the blanket was being whipped off his lower half. Any question of whether he should be feeling hot or cold was answered by the violent shiver that rocked his body.

Owen glanced at him, concern etching his features. "You okay?"

Ianto nodded, tugging the end of the blanket tighter to his chest.

Owen studied him for a second before he seemed convinced that Ianto was going to keel over and die any second.

"Right then, let's take a look." Owen began peeling the edges of the tape off Ianto's leg.

It felt like he was tearing off every hair on his leg. "Christ! Hurry the fuck up!" Ianto said through gritted teeth.

"Quit your bitching. This is your fault for not telling someone that Janet used you as her plaything." He peeled the last of the tape off and lifted the dressing.

"Still pretty swollen," Owen announced, feeling along his leg. Any touch within an inch of the cut sent a shock of pain through him. Ianto squeezed his eyes shut, trying to block out the discomfort. "Wound's looking better, though."

"That's good," Ianto said. He opened his eyes slowly and looked down. The wound looked so much worse than it did the day before. The edges were red and inflamed; there was a glaze of ointment slathered over the area.

Owen busied himself with redressing the area, and Ianto had to look away, watching Owen moving around was making the room spin.

Ianto glanced down at his hands, the IV port catching his eye. He was overcome with an urge to poke at it. Checking that Owen was distracted, Ianto reached over and flicked the tubing. Unsurprisingly, it hurt. But for whatever reason, he couldn't stop himself from fiddling with the bit of tape holding it to his hand.

Owen reached over and swatted Ianto's hand away from the tubing, causing Ianto to jump.

"You're like a fucking child," Owen snapped. " Just sit still and stop toying with things."

Ianto scowled at the doctor, but he kept his hands still on his lap. "You know, you suck at this."

"At what?"

"This, taking care of people, being nice."

"I know how to be nice. And for the record, I could be a lot worse, so you should be thankful."

Ianto rolled his eyes. "I'll be fine if you want to go up and download some more porn. You haven't crashed the server yet this month." And really being alone would be a welcomed relief. Resting in Owen's presence wasn't something Ianto thought he could possibly do.

"As appealing as that idea is, Jack said he'd put me on shit duties for a month if I let anything happen to you. So"―Owen stood, dragging a small chair over and plonking down―"I'm going to stay right here."

Ianto eyes went wide. "You're just going to sit there and stare at me?"

Owen nodded, folding his arms across his chest.

"You can't. We both know you aren't capable of sitting still that long."

Owen tilted his head. "I have you to entertain me."

That confirmed it. Ianto was, in fact, in hell. He had obviously done something terrible and was paying for his sins.

Sighing in resignation, Ianto sank back into to pillow. "I'm going to sleep. Wake me if you want something."

Ianto heard a huff from Owen, but he didn't pay it any mind. He was tired and felt awful. He tugged the edge of the sheet up to his face, inhaling deeply. It smelled just like Jack, and it made him miss him even more.

Why would Jack leave Owen here? Gwen or Tosh would have been so much better. They at least had personalities that didn't grate on his every nerve like Owen's did.

Ianto closed his eyes and tried to fall asleep, but knowing Owen was sitting there just staring at him didn't help him to relax. A few more hours and Jack would be back, that's what Owen had said anyway. Ianto wondered if he could pretend to be asleep until then―probably not.

The longer he laid there, the more like shit he felt. He could count each painful throb in his head, and his stomach churned from the pain. He groaned low in his throat as he fought another wave of nausea.

"Are you alright?" Owen's voice seemed oddly concerned. It wasn't something he usually equated with the crass Londoner.

Peeking out from beneath his lashes, Ianto saw a distraught looking Owen leaning over him. The doctor’s brow was pinched and his mouth a tight line. Ianto felt a need to comfort him and immediately blamed the drugs for the ridiculous thought.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Ianto said, trying to push himself up but Owen put a hand on his shoulder and kept him still.

"It sounded like you were in pain." Owen studied Ianto's face. "You sure you're alright?"

Ianto did a quick inventory of everything, and other than feeling like death warmed over, nothing had changed. "I'm sure. Just tired―can't sleep."

"Sorry, mate. I can give you something to sleep if you want."

Ianto shrugged. "Tempting, but I already feel drugged enough."

Owen sat back in his chair. "Is there anything else I can do?"

Ianto fiddled with the hem of the blanket, considering the question. "Tea would be nice, but I know it's―"

Owen stood, grinning. "I think I can handle that. Be right back."

It took only a few minutes for Owen to return with a mug of steaming tea. "Careful, it's hot." Owen held the cup out for Ianto.

The warmth of the cup felt amazingly good in Ianto's hands. He wrapped his fingers around the mug, relishing the warmth. "Thanks."

Ianto took a tentative sip. It didn't seem likely someone could muck up a cup of tea, but Owen wasn't known for his domestic skills either. It was a bit too sweet, but he couldn't complain. Owen hadn't done half bad. He inhaled the warm steam and relaxed against the headboard.

Ianto looked over at Owen and nodded. "It's good."

Owen sat down on the edge of the bed. "Well, anything to get you to stop your whining."

Ianto shook his head slightly. "Whatever, we both know you're a big softy."

"Piss off, I am not a fucking a teddy bear."

Ianto chuckled, taking another sip of tea. "Of course not, Owen. What was I thinking?"

A smile tugged at Owen's mouth. "Alright, since you're looking so much perkier, let me take a look at the rash again―see if it's receding any."

Ianto set his cup down, and Owen leaned over him, looking over the affected areas. Owen pressed his fingers to a particularly sore area, and Ianto winced.

"This hurt?" Owen pressed in the same spot, causing Ianto to yelp.

"Yes, can you please stop poking me now?"

Owen sat back on the edge of the bed, his brow furrowed. "Leave it to you to be difficult."

"What did I do?"

"Not so much you, but your damned immune system―shouldn't be surprised it's as OCD as you are." Owen stood and grabbed his bag, tossing it into the chair beside the bed.

Had Ianto not needed to piss like a racehorse, he would have given a witty retort, but as it was, he was doing his best not to soak Jack's bed. He shimmied his way toward the edge of the bed and swung his feet over the edge. There was an immediate rush of pain from his leg as the limb changed position. Ianto bit back the pain and continued on his journey to the loo, not bothering with whatever Owen was grumbling on about.

As Ianto attempted to stand, a groan slipped past his control, and Owen's head snapped up.

"Oi!" Owen spun, shoving Ianto back towards the bed. "No one said you could get up."

"I need to piss."

"You need to rest. Your lymph nodes are swollen, and your fever is up. I need to change the IV and get another dose of meds into you, so lay the fuck down."

Ianto glared at the doctor. "I need to piss, so either move or I'm going on your foot."

"Or I sedate you and put in a catheter."

Ianto wasn't in the mood to deal with the Londoner's threats. He shoved Owen in the chest and tried to hobble to his feet. "If you don't move, I'm telling Jack what you did in his office last month."

Owen smirked, stepping back. "Sorry, but he already knows. Where do you think I got the idea from?"

Ianto grabbed the chair for support as the room swayed and his stomach lurched. "I hate you."

"Come here, you stupid fuck, let me help you." Owen reached over and disconnected the IV line and then slipped an arm around Ianto's back, taking some of the weight off Ianto's injured leg. "Nice and slow."

They made it to the bathroom and back without too much bickering or anyone dying, which was a miracle in itself really. Owen guided Ianto back down to the bed and helped him get comfortable again. He grabbed a pillow and tucked it under Ianto's leg, keeping it elevated.

"I feel like I'm dying," Ianto murmured, throwing his arm over his eyes. Even the faint light of the room was hurting his eyes.

"Quit being so dramatic. You're not dying."

Ianto could here Owen rifling through his bag again. A moment later, the doctor was tugging at the line hooked to his hand. "There, that should do it. Hopefully, that will do the trick."

The world suddenly felt very different. There was a fuzzy quality to it again, and Ianto's body was feeling progressively less his. Everything felt weighted, and he felt incredibly tired.

"You drugged me," Ianto slurred, fighting the encroaching darkness.

"Yep, now get some sleep. When you wake, Jack will be here to cuddle you."

Ianto couldn't really argue. The drugs were dragging him under.

The first thing he noticed when he came to was the warm body wrapped around him, followed by the smell of those lovely 51st-century pheromones. He didn't need to open his eyes to know it was Jack.

Ianto could have nearly cried in relief to have him back. If he had woken to Owen again, he would have lost his mind.

Warm, soft lips pressed to the back of Ianto's neck. "You awake?"

Ianto snuggled back against him. "I hope this isn't a dream."

Jack's arms tightened around Ianto. "I'm here. Sorry, I had to leave earlier. Was Owen decent?"

"Is he ever?"

Jack chuckled. "I suppose not. How are you feeling?"

"Better, I'm not as achy―head doesn't hurt anymore." Ianto wriggled, so he was able to face Jack. "How long was I out?"

Jack lifted his arm so he could see his wrist strap. "About … 18 hours now."

Ianto's eyes went wide. "I've been … 18 hours … shit, Jack."

Jack stroked his knuckles along Ianto's face. "Calm down, you needed it. Owen says you're on the mend now. Your fever broke about six hours ago. Since then, you have been resting fairly comfortably."

"Have you been here long?"

"Almost the whole time. When I got back, I found Owen pacing the room. He was worried about you."

Ianto smiled. "He's a good guy. Don't tell him I said that, though."

"My lips are sealed." Jack gave Ianto an easy smile and leaned in to place a kiss on his lips. "Though next time you're hurt, you tell me, okay?"

Ianto rested his forehead against Jack's. "Okay."

 

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading. I hope you liked it!


End file.
